Winter 2014 Newsletter

This year marks the 25th anniversary of NCSLA, formerly known as the North Carolina Science Supervisors Association (NCSSA), established to support the preparation of pre-service teachers in science education. The founding leaders of NCSLA valued the profession of teaching and knew the importance of preparing and mentoring beginning teachers for the grand challenge of educating students. I can imagine their efforts included curricular, pedagogical, managerial, civil, practical, and advanced educational opportunities to equip science educators for the diverse regional educational needs in North Carolina. These grassroots efforts included partnerships among higher education educators and state science supervisors that contributed to effective teacher leadership in the classroom, their schools, and school districts.

Today, NCSLA stands even stronger on their founding mission to contribute significantly to upholding the integrity of teaching, leading, and science education through our organizational efforts. At a time where education is being hit hard economically, it is our efforts that must model and advocate for premier science education in North Carolina. We can do this by providing quality professional learning institutes, recognizing teacher leaders and informing our legislators and administrators that science teachers are valuable and need our collaborative support to be effective in their craft. For our students to be innovators, we must be innovative in how we brand science education and the profession. Let's continue to do the work where it is needed the most and have the greatest impact on the ground level and inform policy leaders of what they can do to strengthen science education and reinstate the honor associated with shaping the young minds and lives of children, as teachers.

In closing, I invite you to join NCLSA on April 12 as we boldly look towards the future and commemorate twenty-five years of networking, celebrating, leading, supporting and advocating for teachers, science education, and leadership in North Carolina.